1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a smoke detection system for an aircraft.
2. Description of Related Art
Large commercial aircraft typically contain smoke detectors which detect smoke and provide an indication that a fire may exist within the vehicle. The smoke detector is typically mounted to the fuselage above the ceiling of the passenger compartment. Aircraft specifications require smoke detection much sooner than detection within a building structure. To decrease the detection time interval, a duct is installed into the aircraft to channel a stream of air from the passenger compartment to the detector. The duct is typically coupled to the airplane vent system which provides a flow of air into the smoke detector.
The smoke detector duct adds weight to the vehicle, thereby reducing the fuel efficiency of the airplane. The detector duct also requires additional material and labor to install, thereby increasing the cost of producing the aircraft. It would therefore be desirable to provide a smoke detection system for an aircraft which did not require additional ducts to couple the detector to the passenger compartment of the plane.